Stamping apparatus can be used to form or “stamp” a metal blank into a formed part that is used for a panel, for example, for a vehicle. In many stamping apparatus, the metal blank is securely held between upper and lower dies of the stamping apparatus during a stamping process where a blank-holding ram engages a portion of the blank to secure or hold the blank so a punch can engage another portion of the held blank into a forming cavity to stamp or form the part. To ensure that the blank is held as desired during the stamping process the blank-holding ram may include a bead is configured to engage the blank into a depression formed in the lower die. In some configurations, multiple beads positioned alongside each other may be utilized to increase the blank holding force during the stamping process. High tensile strains experienced by the blank proximate the bead(s), however, may cause the blank to break during the stamping process, which may render the blank unusable. Additionally, configurations having multiple beads alongside each other result in more scrap and higher manufacturing costs.